Language Arts Meeting Minutes 9/05/07

Present:

Robert Bullock

Jennifer Butcher

Donna Collins

Paula Collins

Karesa Crockett

Donna Frye

Daniel Hill

Jaclyn Richardson

Debbie Wilson

Debbie Estes – Parent member

Lynn Todd

Shelly Hargis

Absent:

Meeting began at 3:34.  Ms. Wilson started by asking everyone to introduce themselves.

New Business:

1. Curriculum Maps: 
   1. Each grade level felt that so far they were on target with the timelines.
2. PD-
   1. Ms. Butcher is attending a Abell & Atherton Proficiency training.  She will forward an email about that opportunity.
   2. Paula and Jennifer attended a PD this summer they felt was helpful and Ms. P. Collins said that she would get some information about that to committee members.
3. Item Analysis for Assessment
   1. 7^th grade teachers will bring a sample for the October meeting.
   2. 8^th grade teachers will bring samples for the February meeting.
4. Open Response
   1. The committee wants to evaluate how closely each grade level is assessing.
   2. We still want to require a full page.  There are exceptions for students who write very small, but the committee feels that to adequately support with good detail, students must write a full page.
5. Anaylsis of Student Work for Reading
   1. 8^th grade will bring samples for the November meeting.
   2. 6^th grade will bring samples for the March meeting.
6. Mid-term and final assessments
   1. Each grade level is discussing and planning together for developing these assessments.  We will have assessments ready for the end of first nine weeks.
7. Technology Use
   1. Mr. Hill and Ms. Wilson are writing speeches and plan to pod-cast the speeches.
8. Writing Conference Plan
   1. Paula Collins has had some experience with something similar to this.
   2. Each teacher is supposed to keep folders for students to put in writing that is done in that class.
   3. The plan probably should contain what types of writing should be done or are being done in each classroom.
   4. Paula Collins will report back to the committee information from the district writing cluster meeting.
9. Units of Study for novice reduction
   1. Ms. Richardson had compiled a few units for Academy use last year.
   2. This year, the committee wants the fall academy unit to focus on grammar.

                                                               i.      Jaclyn Richardson will compile this first unit.

3. Winter academy will focus on reading skills and open response

                                                               i.      Donna Collins will compile these units.

4. Spring academy will continue those skills and emphasize test taking skills.

                                                               i.      Daniel Hill will compile these skills

5. Summer academy will focus on reading skills emphasis on novels

                                                               i.      Debbie Wilson will compile the summer unit.

10. Material needs
    1. Ms. Hargis estimated that the committee has $2000 department money.
    2. Jaclyn Richardson and Ms. Yancey have been teaching reading groups using SRA. They need additional resources to continue.

                                                               i.      The committee does not know if we have enough money; Ms. Richardson said Ms. Hargis was asking the district to pay for these supplies.

3. Printer needs

                                                               i.      Portfolios will

4.  
10. Effective Collaboration Strategies
    1. Donna Collins said that Ms. Baird takes charge of bell ringers each day.  This allows all the students to look to her as a resource and teacher.

                                                               i.      Donna Collins takes over scribing or other tasks Ms. Baird normally does.

12. Novels by Grade Level
    1. The committee wants to compile a list of novels appropriate or in use on each grade level.  We also want to include high school novels. This will prevent overlap.
    2. Ms. Hargis pointed out that there are novels that students get to start during Academy but they never get to finish it.
    3. AR incentives

                                                               i.      Ms. Estes was concerned that some students get burned out on AR.

                                                             ii.      Students are given grades, candy for 100%, the library also has incentives.

                                                            iii.      Jennifer Butcher, Donna Collins, and Jaclyn Richardson have students write letters in reflection of reading.

13. Portfolio Tutoring
    1. The committee wants to use ESS hours for tutoring on writing and reading.

                                                               i.      We need to let Ms. Hargis know who will be tutoring and on which days.

14. Ms. Paula Collins as writing cluster leader
    1. There are concerns that writing is not occurring in the content areas.
    2. Marking student papers: all teachers need to be trained.  In the past, we have always does this at a faculty meeting.  There is a power point that can be used for this. 

Next agenda/ before next time:

Writing in the Content Areas:  What are some solutions.